♥ I had coffee with Lin and Warren. It was wonderful to vent about the stigma attached to mental illness, in/visible disabilities, and how religion impacts coping strategies. Sometimes you just need a sounding board for those sorts of things. The cherry Italian soda was pretty good, too.

♥ My best friend, Chana, slept over on Boxing Day. Ilovehersomuch. We drank red wine, discussed plans for the new year and listened to Metric. Chana one of those precious people who, no matter how long it's been since you've seen them, you pick up right where you left off.

1. [A]s of January 16th, any photos you upload to Instagram can be used in advertising.
You will not be notified, you will not earn royalties, you do not have
to give consent. If you agree to their new terms & conditions, you
have already given your consent. [Source].
2. There's no guarantee that private accounts will remain private.
3. The fact that there wasn't even a clearly-worded announcement about these changes, rather they were embedded in the new terms & conditions. That's pretty shady, hmm?

Since the eruption of users' and media's outrage, Instagram has posted this blog, stating:

"Instagram users own their content and Instagram does not claim any
ownership rights over your photos. Nothing about this has changed. We
respect that there are creative artists and hobbyists alike that pour
their heart into creating beautiful photos, and we respect that your
photos are your photos. Period".

Privacy Settings
Nothing has changed about the control you have over who can see your
photos. If you set your photos to private, Instagram only shares your
photos with the people you’ve approved to follow you.

So now it sounds like they're backpedaling?

Even if that's the case, I have a hard time trusting a company that would feel no remorse about snatching peoples' photos and made a pretty penny for themselves.

I understand that businesses want to make money (I run a business. I want to make money). However, transparency is essential. If a business keeps vital information from users (or tries to hide it from them, or doesn't explicitly disclose it), that's as bad as lying.

For this reason, I'm moving to Flickr. And the fact that there's a gorgeous new Flickr app, complete with filters, editing and easy scrolling, doesn't hurt either!

♥ Just a few days until I'm done my copywriting class-- that means I'm one third of the way to completing my web writing certificate at U of T!

♥ This past weekend I had an amazing time at my Aunt Suzie's. We made crafts and drank coolers until past midnight. Pretty much my definition of a good time.♥ I did quite a few hours of Copy Consultation. It was fantastic. My clients are the best! (And you can be one of them... hint hint).

In most of my blog posts I conclude with a paragraph or two that wraps up the issue at hand with a neat little bow. But to be honest, I can't do that with this post, because this issue still isn't resolved. I'm not sure what to do, past lowering my sodium intake and continuing to at healthy and exercise-- and ignore all "you need to lose weight" messages.

25 years of cell phones in a single image. This is so cool! Do you remember your first cell phone? Mine was a hand-me-down flip phone that literally snapped in half! Eek. Makes me really appreciate my iPhone.

3 Pray. I've become more spiritual in the past few years, and find that lighting candles and engaging in a ritual (I'm Pagan) or simply thanking the Goddess makes me feel more at ease. Gratitude has incredible healing powers, whether you're religious or not.

4 Research sleep meds. Zopiclone, melatonin, something else? Have a list ready for next time you go to the doctor and ask if a medication is right for you.

5 Lay down. Let your body rest, even if the rest of you doesn't want to.

The band walks to a gallery through the snow, then defaces the building's artifiacts paints abstract art very angrily. And then the gallery's patrons (who are suddenly wearing animal masks) dance to the unmistakeable sound of Neon Trees' tunes. What more do you need in a music video?